Henri Matisse The Snail watch

A miniature masterpiece for your wrist, this Swatch x Tate watch is inspired by The Snail, 1953 by Henri Matisse.

When ill health prevented Matisse from painting as he had done before, he began ‘painting with scissors’. By cutting painted paper into shapes, he created his famous 'cut out' artworks, strategically placing colours and shapes together for maximum effect.

A tiny print of Matisse’s artwork sits at the centre of the watch’s pale blue translucent dial, which is made from biosourced material. Black minute and hour hands finish the watch face, and the shiny, semi-transparent straps are printed in an all-over design taking details from Matisse’s cutout shapes that make up The Snail. The resulting watch is a fittingly vibrant tribute to one of Tate Modern’s most visited artworks.

The watch straps are fastened with a baby blue plastic buckle, which, along with the case, match the blue of the block that represents the snail’s body in Matisse’s cut out artwork. A clear, shiny loop bearing the Tate dot logo finishes the strap.

Since the early 1980s, Swatch has been collaborating with artists, designers and galleries to spread the idea that art makes the world a better place – a belief Tate shares. We’ve collaborated to reinterpret Tate collection artworks into timepieces to be treasured.

Swiss-made, the Henri Matisse watch is water resistant, so you can keep your watch clean with a toothbrush dipped in soapy water, and dry with a soft cloth. Rinse in lukewarm water after swimming in salt water, and avoid contact with solvents and creams. Light scratches to the synthetic glass can be buffed out using cream polish, and when your watch battery runs out, you can get it replaced for free at a Swatch shop.

• Artist Henri Matisse
• Artwork The Snail
• Dimensions 3.4 cm x 3.92 cm x 0.875 cm
• Material Case: 100% Biosourced material. Strap: plastic